Midland Fire Department looks to improve ratings

Published 6:00 pm, Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Midland's Fire Department plans to improve its response times - a move that will save residents on insurance costs and help the city respond to population growth.

Fire Chief Russ Conley presented the department's 10-year plan to the Midland City Council at a study session Tuesday.

The goal is to improve the city's Insurance Services Office rating from 3 to 2. Officials said residents could potentially save as much as $150 annually on home insurance and businesses may be more enticed to move to Midland if the city's rating does improve.

The Fire Department's $21.9 million, 10-year plan includes:

- building two new stations.

- remodeling two stations.

- reconstructing or replacing two stations.

- improving the department's training facilities.

- purchasing equipment.

- hiring 24 more firefighters.

"When it comes to getting our rating from 3 to 2, consider that done. Things are already in the process," Interim City Manager Tommy Hudson said. "Now, getting from 2 to 1 is a challenge."

In order to improve the rating, at least three things must be done, Conley said.

Instead of relocating existing fire stations, Conley said the construction of two new ones - estimated to cost about $6 million - would be more effective for the city as it meets the needs of the growing population in north and northwest Midland.

Fire Station No. 10, which will service neighborhoods such as the Grassland area, is plotted for Wadley Avenue and Loop 250.

The city has already put the project into motion. The council already approved the purchase of new 100-foot ladder equipment that will be used at the station when completed. Officials also are working on the design for the new station, which would be constructed next year.

Construction for additional bathrooms and bedrooms for Station No. 3, on North Lamesa Road, is also already underway to accommodate the relocation of four firefighters and a ladder truck from the Central Station, Hudson said.

The Central Station, located on Wall Street, will also need to be renovated to include more office space and an interrogation room for fire inspectors. The city hopes to hire two more inspectors to help the fire marshal's office, which has four employees who handled 5,000 cases last year.

"If we complete these three projects just these three things, we will improve our rating," Conley said. "But we also are looking ahead to address the growth we are experiencing here in Midland."

Within the 10-year time frame, the city also hopes to reconstruct two fire stations that were built in the 1950s.

Fire officials also hope to make improvements to the city's firefighter drilling facilities. They want to reconstruct some of the features, such as the high tower building and purchase the technology needed so firefighters no longer need to travel to Lubbock for training, Conley said.

Also on the department's wish list is adding crews for hazardous materials and swift rescue.

"It may seem funny that we want those kind of crews here," Conley said. "But because we are flat, sometimes we tend to have flash floods. We just really want to be prepared."

In other business:

The Midland City Council unanimously voted to hire professional recruiting company Georgia-based Mercer Group, Inc. Tuesday to help fill the city manager's vacancy.

According to Mercer's request for qualifications (RFQ) response, its services will cost the city $16,500. Additional expenses related to the search should not exceed $8,000.

City Council selected Mercer out of five companies which submitted responses. Companies had until last week to submit their responses to the city's request for qualification.

Members of the City Council hope to hire former city manager Rick Menchaca's replacement by June 1. Tommy Hudson has served as interim city manager since Menchaca's resignation nearly a year ago.